Part 34

Bifrost was trying to figure out why this happened. Not only was he restrained by Fairy Tail but Booré had stolen all his collected lacrimas. Now the only one he had was the one he took from Laxus. At the moment he was tied by layers and layers of magic-canceling-ropes as well having several pairs of those blasted handcuffs, the ones the Magic Council had, used on him. He looked dully at his guards whenever they looked at him. He'd been brought to Fairy Tail along with the injured dragon slayers. Jellal and the majority of his team was on their feet again, but Sawyer refused to leave Erik's side along with Kinana. The dragon slayers that had their lacrimas stolen from them were alive, but weak from their injuries and blood loss. When Makarov had asked Bifrost about it he had just looked nonchalant. But he had replied:

"Their punishment will be losing their powers, they will be nothing when they've lost their abilities. That's their punishment for hurting Mother."

Sting was awake, he wasn't too badly hurt but Rogue was still unconscious. Sting refused to leave the side of the Shadow Dragon Slayer. He only left his side to use the bathroom or when he was moved back to his own bed to sleep. They had buried the members of Sabertooth that had lost their lives in the attack. Every newspaper were talking about the horrible attack on Fiore's number two guild. But no one knew that Fairy Tail had sunk their claws into Bifrost. Not that he said much. He just kept looking at them. Makarov had heard from Erza that they were returning, bringing back a piece of hope. But right now they were all worried about what Levy had told them. She hadn't been able to figure out much but the text she'd managed to understand spoke of how the Dragon Slayers were created.

"I already know the story", Bifrost said when Makarov asked him about it. "Dragons were once the rulers of this world. They thrived, flying through the air, racing across the land and swimming in the sea. Everything in this world belonged to them. Humans were no more than prey. But there was a dragon talking about building a world in which humans could coexists with dragons. Eventually, between the dragons who agreed and those who disagreed, a war began. The battles between dragon and dragon tore up vast areas of land. Mother watched. Eventually, the dragons who were for coexistence devised a stupid strategy. They involved humans in the war by giving them Dragon Slayer Magic, which could destroy dragons."

"And that's the origin of the Dragon Slayers?" Makarov asked.

"Yes. Dragon Slayers had tremendous power. However they made one miscalculation. The Dragons Slayers, who had been given too much power, killed even the dragons who wished to live peacefully with them. And there was one man among the humans who bathed in dragon's blood. He continued to destroy dragon and bathe in their blood. Presently his skin turned to scales, his teeth to fangs. He transformed into a dragon himself. That's what Dragon Slayer Magic leads to. Though human he became the Dragon King. The Dragon King initiated another war. The King's name was Acnologia. He slaughtered most of the dragons…"

"Is that what your 'mother' told you?"

"Yes."

"Well Bifrost I am afraid that she lied." Makarov placed the book in front of him and Bifrost started reading. He cocked an eyebrow and looked at Makarov.

"That is most certainly a lie" he said.

"It's not lies."

"Mother would… No. Mother would never lie to us."

"Would never what?" Makarov asked. It was a gamble to give him the books since he himself had no idea of what was in them.

"Mother didn't… she can't. She didn't kill them."

"The dragons gave humans dragon slaying magic… but not to help defeat other dragons", Makarov said. "But to defeat Aurora."

"That is a lie. Mother only wishes to slay the fake dragons and those to claim having the true powers of a dragon. It is her mission from the Great Will. The mission she has entrusted us with. She didn't kill all those dragons from back then. She only wishes death to fall upon Acnologia. Acnologia is the one that killed everyone. Mother did not. She was hidden. She was staying out of it. That book lies. The humans were granted magic to slay dragons to help in the dragon war. Not to slay Mother. You are lying to me Makarov. Don't play me for a fool."

"You are a smart lad", Makarov said coldly. "Read those books for yourself and find out the truth." He dropped the books in front of the young man and left. Bifrost looked at them and then away, it was as if he refused to look. But like a curious child… he couldn't not look so Makarov looked around the corner and saw him reading the books. Maybe this would be a way to bring down the Winter Solstice? Making their members distrust their master.

In a hidden cave far north Aurora was raging. Tundra and Booré were kneeling in front of her, not daring to look up. They had lost Bifrost! Those blasted Fairies had taken him! They were ruining everything! The time was drawing near! But it was impossible to fulfill the last part of her plan if the mind wasn't with the rest of the body! She looked at her two soldiers. She sighed heavily.

"My sweets", she said. "We cannot continue with our mission while Bifrost has been taken capture."

"I'm sorry Mother", Tundra whispered and looked close to tears. "I'm sure I could've saved him if I just-"

"Your emotions would run wild and you would kill everyone there, including Bifrost. My sweet…" she nuzzled him gently. "You need to get a hold on your emotions. I'm starting to regret enhancing them."

"I'm really sorry Mother", Tundra said and looked up at her. She smiled and started glowing. She stated to transform. She had learned transformation magic a long time ago. She shrunk, lost her wings and scales. She turned into a beautiful woman. She was tall, taller than Laxus or Bickslow. Her hair was wavy and light blue, reaching her bare feet. Her skin was pale and frosty. She was slim but strong. She wore a plain looking dress, it looked as if it was made of a piece of the sky, sparkled with stars. She opened her eyes. The eyes had no irises or pupils. They were just a cold blue that in the night reflected the stars. She smiled and caressed Tundra's cheek with a hand that was cold as ice.

"My sweet", she purred. "Don't do something hasty. Your emotions are a beautiful thing, but they are very dangerous. Try to keep your head cool."

"Yes Mother", Tundra replied and nodded, she kissed his forehead. "Mother?"

"Yes?"

"What should we do about Bifrost?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I am sure our missing mind will find his own way back to us. He is the clever one after all. But just in case… Tundra, Booré." They both looked at her. "Head to Magnolia. But don't kill anyone, at least not yet."

Tundra smirked.

"Yes Mother", he said. Booré just looked at her and nodded.

Bifrost's body was shaking. But he didn't know why. He wasn't cold, he wasn't anything. He was just reading those books Makarov had left him. He was sure that Makarov had no idea of what they really contained. It was… interesting. He finally understood why Aurora really needed them, no not Aurora. That was just a name she took so that she wouldn't scare them when she first met them. Her real name was Skadi. Just saying that name made his skin crawl. He looked up and noticed the mages guarding him. Their faces were full of fear.

"What's the matter Macao, Wakaba?" he asked politely. "Is something bothering you?"

"Did you… did you say Skadi?" Macao asked and gulped. He knew the stories of the most evil witch in history. She would murder whoever she could just to clench her blood-thirst.

"I believe I did", Bifrost replied calmly. "According to these books, my master Aurora is actually named Skadi. But counter to the stories Skadi was never a witch. She is a dragon that can transform into a human using transformation magic. It makes sense since she helped creating the magic in the first place. That is how she could hide from all the other dragons. But she still wants revenge for what they did to upset the Great Will.

She said the offspring killed her siblings. Well in reality she killed them. She wanted to punish them for going against the laws of the Great Will. But the Great Will never gave her the right to slaughter other dragons. So as punishment she is forbidden from doing so ever again. Which is why she needs us three to slay all false dragons and Acnologia.

She managed to trick the other dragons into believing they couldn't kill her because she was their ancestor and the Great Will wouldn't allow any dragon killing the first ones. That's why the dragons gave Dragon Slaying Magic to the humans. They believed they couldn't defeat her themselves so the dragon slayers would be able to beat her because they were human. But they didn't count on the fact that Skadi was a hundred times stronger than any other dragon. Their magic turned out to be inefficient from the start. The only one that could possibly dream of killing her would be one of her siblings. But they are dead since a very long time."

"And you're willingly telling us this?" Wakaba asked confused.

"I'm the mind. Knowledge is… important to know. I am always sharing knowledge."

"So… can you tell us where your master is hiding?" Macao tried.

"I share my knowledge Macao, I'm not stupid."

"Uh…"

"But I commend you for trying. It is boring having no one to talk to that can understand a basic conversations. Believe me I…" he trailed off. He just sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Macao and Wakaba stared at him in confusion.

"Uh are you okay?" Wakaba asked.

"Yes I am physically fine", Bifrost replied. "I am just trying to understand."

"Understand what?" Macao asked.

"I was about to explain something about my guild mates. Something about me and them but I can't do it for some reason."

"What is it that you wanted to explain?" Wakaba said and sat on a chair.

"I am not sure. I have this strange nagging at the back of my mind that I used to know exactly what I was about to talk about but now I do not know how to express it. I have…" he looked deadpan again, just staring straight ahead. Macao and Wakaba were starting to believe that the young man had lost his mind or something. But then Makarov came into the room. He had been standing outside listening to what Bifrost had been trying to explain and he knew what was going on.

"You are trying to explain how you feel about your guild mates", Makarov stated calmly.

"Feel?" Bifrost asked.

"Surely you must know what feeling means", Macao exclaimed outraged.

"Feeling", Bifrost said. "It could mean the sense of touch. A sensation experienced through sense. A physical sensation other than one experienced through touch. An emotion, such as joy, rage, sorrow or jealousy. An emotion of affection, fondness. The capacity to experience refined emotions. An awareness of-"

"Okay you know the meaning of the word, but do you know what it means?"

Bifrost opened his mouth to respond but closed it again and looked away, a look of indifference on his face. That's when it hit all three Fairy Tail mages. Bifrost didn't know how to feel. He didn't know how to describe how he felt about his guild mates. He didn't react with emotions at all. It looked as if he was incapable of doing so.

Makarov felt that it was truly a very sad thing. Emotions helped forming a person's soul. Helped them deal with information they got, helped them deal with various situations and here was a young man that had been robbed of those tools. Bifrost may be a strong and really powerful mage but he had been wronged in a way that was truly horrible. To get these powers… he had been robbed of his emotions, his ability to feel anything.

He could feel pain or a touch but he couldn't feel deeper than that. He understood what things meant but he couldn't feel them. He couldn't feel scared. He couldn't feel rage. He couldn't feel sorrow or happiness. He couldn't feel anything. And that was just wrong. Makarov felt rage build up inside him and due to his rage his magic activated and he started growing. Macao and Wakaba tried to calm him down but Bifrost just looked at him with that indifferent look he nearly always wore.

"Rage", he stated after a bit of listening to Makarov's curses. "A most unreliable feeling that can make a wizard's powers run haywire. Due to that emotion Tundra has been close to killing his own guild mates. But due to that power he also gets stronger. It is quite interesting. He gains tremendous power but loses all sense and reason, he goes crazy with power. Which is why he needs me by his side, the mind. If I let him run loose during a fit of rage he could destroy the whole world. Rage is quite powerful a feeling I figure. But you better not lose yourself to it or it can end badly for those around you. I guess I should pity those who let their minds go due to rage."

The three wizards from Fairy Tail stared at him in confusion. Was Bifrost feeling right now or was he just stating the obvious? But one look into his eyes told them he wasn't feeling anything, just stating facts as usual.

"That is true", Makarov said. "Feelings can be a tool to strengthen your power, but it can also be a danger. You need to have your emotions under control or there is no telling what your magic could do."

"I actually know what my magic would make me do should I succumb to rage", Bifrost replied calmly. "I would act like Tundra, only with my power it would most likely be much worse."

"How do you figure?" Macao asked.

"Well for starters I can bend the laws of the universe with my enchantments. Just think about it, with one angry rune I could blow up the entire continent."

"You what!?" Macao yelled.

"But I won't do it."

"Why not?"

"I don't see the logical reason for it. If I destroyed the continent I would destroy myself. That is just foolish."

The mages from Fairy Tail stared at him, their chins nearly hitting the floor. Bifrost just looked at them, tilting his head.

"I see you have calmed down Master Makarov", he said. "Are you feeling okay?"

Makarov blinked in confusion again. Was Bifrost really feel compassion for him? Did he worry or was he just being polite? He looked at Bifrost's eyes and saw no emotion there. He was just being polite.

"Pft the first time I've ever come across a polite thief."

"I truly am sorry sir, I usually don't sink to this low a level but I am getting a bit desperate."

Makarov sighed and looked at the young man in front of him, for a moment Bifrost turned into that teenager he had met so many years ago. But then he looked into his eyes and then Bifrost was there again. Makarov sighed.

"It's the first time I meet a polite killer", he said.

"I do believe I am supposed to be sorry for killing people but I don't know how you do when you feel sad", Bifrost replied. "I shall read up on sorrow next then, but first I shall return to the books you left me Makarov. Maybe you should rest old man you look like you have a lot on your mind."

"Again with the fake concern", Makarov mumbled as he and Macao left. They left the guarding to Wakaba. The smoking mage looked at his charge, trying to figure him out. Freed had always been aloof and Wakaba couldn't remember actually ever talking to guy in private for more than two minutes. Now being alone with what used to be him was freaking him out slightly. The young man had always been weird to Wakaba. Far too quiet and polite and formal. But underneath that aloofness had always been a tremendous amount of power that he showed no one. Wakaba had always wondered why and now he found himself wondering how much of what Bifrost could do were things that Aurora/Skadi had taught him and what was Freed's own power.

"It's not polite to stare", Bifrost commented in the same monotone voice he always had. Wakaba mumbled something in return and kept looking. Even the young man's voice was different. Sure you didn't hear it that often but you could always hear a sincerity and emotion behind the words. You couldn't always understand what type of emotion it was but it was there.

Now all that left Bifrost's lips were just words. They had a meaning of course but they didn't mean anything. Wakaba sighed and sat down, watching the young man in front of him. This was affecting him more than he thought it would. He was surprised he was feeling so upset about the situation of a young man he basically never knew anything about.

He had never had any kind of relationship with Freed Justine. They were guild mates, that was all. He never spoke to the guy. He never went on missions with him. He never fought with him. Never fought alongside him. He never did anything with him. So he had volunteered to be one of the guards because he thought the guy wouldn't affect him at all. But he was. He was affecting him a lot. Just seeing the guy made his blood boil, but not aimed at Freed or Bifrost himself but at the creature creating Bifrost. Aurora or Skadi or whatever she was called was not only evil she was malicious. She didn't care about who she hurt or how she hurt them. All she cared about was getting what she wanted. Whatever that was. Wakaba still wasn't very sure about that. His head snapped up.

"Wait, what was it this guy said again?" he thought to himself. "Wait wasn't it something like: 'I'm the brain idiots. Knowing is what I do. I don't mind sharing knowledge'? If that's what he said… then maybe…" He looked at Bifrost again and bit his lip. Then he sighed and decided to go for it.

"So what is it that your master really wants?" he asked. Bifrost looked up at him and then at the door.

"How much time do you got?" he asked.

"Uh… a lot?"

"Good then I can start explaining from the beginning", Bifrost said and closed the book. Wakaba all of a sudden didn't feel as if his bright idea was very bright.

TBC